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Jump to navigationJump to searchWildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman (view source)
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|date=November 2012
|website=http://kimberleyfreeman.com/
|summary=A gripping saga spanning decades and miles, interweaving the stories of two women who overcame misfortune to rebuild their lives.
|cover=1780877080
}}
'tis the season to be…thoroughly depressed if you're anything like me – can't bear the cold, the grey, the forced jollity. Whatever book I pick up at this time of year needs to be a highly effective escapist tonic, otherwise , there's a good chance I won't even finish it. So I'd like to thank Kimberley Freeman for the most all-encompassing, escapist and enjoyable novel I can remember reading in winter; something tells me I'll revisit this one a few times.
The book has instant impact with well -drawn characters, illustrative writing and scene -setting with pin point pinpoint accuracy. Freeman is a sophisticated writer worth studying; everything we need to know is seamlessly woven in. Also seamlessly done is the transition between times; this cross-generational saga contrasts two women with completely different lives, but it’s never jarring to switch between the two. From Glasgow 1929, with Beattie Blaxland finding her life is about to take an unwelcome turn, to London in the present day, with Emma Blaxland-Hunter finding the same, there is an enormous gap, but Freeman fills it with an absorbing tale to link the two women together.
Freeman’s descriptions are so acute, I winced at some of the sufferings of the characters, who have certainly undergone their fair share of hardships. It’s a fascinating study of how family can treat each other, of how people who claim to love another can behave – and also a study of what money and property can come to mean in emotional terms.
I’m already looking forward to Freeman’s next book. This is a cosy winter essential and would be a great Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys a good saga.
If this book appeals then you might also enjoy [[The History Room by Eliza Graham]] and [[Lighthouse Bay by Kimberley Freeman]].
{{amazontext|amazon=1780877080}}
